Characteristics of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men with multiple diagnoses of infectious syphilis in British Columbia, Canada, 2005-2014

Background: Infectious syphilis has increased substantially over the past decade. Targeting limited public health resources toward subpopulations with multiple reinfections may have a large impact in reducing onward transmission within a community. Methods: A chart review was conducted for individuals with 4 or more infectious syphilis diagnoses between 2005 and 2014 (the top 1% of all syphilis diagnoses in British Columbia, Canada). We characterized the sociodemographics, partner notification outcomes and social network. Results: Between 2005 and 2014, there were 30 individuals with 4 or more syphilis diagnoses, accounting for 139 diagnoses. All were men who have sex with men and 29 (96%) were human immunodeficiency virus–positive. Of the 139 diagnoses, 65% occurred in the early latent stage of infection, 22% in the secondary stage, and 14% in the primary stage. The median number of sexual partners per diagnosis was 5 (range, 1–50). Among the 838 partners reported, 79% were notifiable, 53% were notified, and 23% were reported to be tested or treated. Sexual network mapping showed that almost half of the members of this group could be linked to one another either directly or indirectly via partners over 10 years. Social network mapping demonstrated high connectivity, with 4 venues associated with almost two thirds of the study population. Conclusions: The connectivity and recurrent diagnoses in this study population suggest potential benefits of targeted interventions to individuals with multiple diagnoses and their partners. Our study highlights the need for enhanced care, increased syphilis testing frequency, and exploring alternative preventative methods among individuals with syphilis rediagnoses to reduce syphilis incidence

Risk Factors for High-risk, Oncogenic Human Papillomavirus (HPV) anal Infection in HIV-positive and HIV-negative Men who have Sex with Men (MSM)

Background: Most anal cancers are caused by high-risk (HR)-HPV, occurring at much higher rates in MSM. There is little evidence on specific risk factors for HR-HPV in this population. Objective: To determine sexual and behavioural risk factors for HR-HPV anal canal infection. Methods: Cross-sectional study recruiting a clinic-based MSM sample. Participants completed a questionnaire, and had HPV/STI testing. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess HR-HPV risk factors. Results: 442 MSM were recruited: 267 HR-HPV-positive, 162 HR-HPV-negative. Multivariable analyses revealed risk factors associated with HR-HPV infection: HIV status (OR: 1.86, 95% CI 1.20-2.89); current smoking status (OR: 2.24, 95% CI 1.33-3.79); and >50 lifetime sexual partners (OR: 2.37, 95% CI 1.05-5.35). Conclusions: This study highlights important risk factors for HR-HPV anal infection. On a background of limited evidence for HPV screening modalities, this information may shed light on novel ways to risk stratify MSM to further anal cancer screening interventions.M.Sc

HIV-positive gay men's knowledge and perceptions of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and HPV vaccination: A qualitative study.

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide. Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM) living with HIV are disproportionately impacted by HPV-associated anal cancer, with rates about 100-fold that of the general population. Fortunately, HPV vaccination has proven efficacy in preventing both anogenital warts (condyloma) in males and anal pre-cancers (anal intraepithelial neoplasia; AIN) in GBM up to the age of 26. We conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 25 HIV-positive gay men in Toronto to gain an understanding of their knowledge and experiences related to HPV and the HPV vaccine. These participants were part of The HPV Screening and Vaccine Evaluation (HPV-SAVE) Study, and received invitations to have anal cancer screening from their primary care doctors. Interviews were analyzed following a Grounded Theory Approach. Most participants had not received the HPV vaccine. Men described a lack of prior knowledge of the health consequences of HPV for GBM living with HIV and financial barriers to vaccine access. Participants did not articulate concerns about vaccine safety. Men frequently reported initial beliefs that HPV was predominantly-or exclusively-a risk for females or young girls, and thus they had not considered the vaccine to be necessary. Some participants remained uncertain if the current availability of the vaccine, and their newly acquired knowledge of its importance, was "too little, too late" because of their age and/or HPV exposure. Improving access and uptake of HPV vaccination requires addressing both financial barriers to access as well as increasing HPV health literacy levels, particularly by reframing the long-standing gendered associations of HPV. Physicians should provide clear, tailored messages regarding HPV vaccination

Economic barriers, evidentiary gaps, and ethical conundrums: a qualitative study of physicians’ challenges recommending HPV vaccination to older gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men

Abstract Background The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) worldwide. Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM), and GBM living with HIV in particular, are disproportionately impacted by HPV-associated cancers. The HPV vaccine, given early enough in life, may markedly reduce the likelihood of such cancers. In Canada, most provincial insurance programs only cover HPV vaccination for GBM up to the age of 26. Our objective was to understand physicians’ everyday experiences and challenges in recommending HPV vaccination to older GBM patients. Methods As part of the HPV Screening and Vaccine Evaluation (HPV-SAVE) Study, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 25 HIV-positive GBM patients who had received anal cancer screening and 15 service providers, including 13 physicians, who had arranged for anal cancer screening in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. In this analysis, we draw upon the 13 physician interviews, which were coded following Grounded Theory. Results Physicians strongly supported the HPV vaccine for all GBM and considered it to be important for the management of HIV-related care. However, the overall support for HPV vaccination among physicians did not translate into consistent recommendation practices. There were two overarching factors that limited the strength/frequency of physicians’ vaccine recommendation practices. First, cost/insurance coverage for some older patients impacted if and how the HPV vaccine was discussed. Second, physicians had diverse perspectives on both the prevention and therapeutic benefits of vaccinating older GBM and the reality that national guidelines are incongruent with publicly funded vaccine programs for vaccinating patients over 26 years old. These two interrelated factors have co-produced an apparent economic-evidentiary conundrum for many physicians regarding how and for whom to offer HPV vaccination. Conclusion Economic barriers coupled with evidentiary and guideline gaps have created clinical practice challenges for physicians and has resulted in different messages being communicated to some older GBM patients about how important HPV vaccination is for their health

Factors associated with interest in bacterial sexually transmitted infection vaccines at two large sexually transmitted infection clinics in British Columbia, Canada

Objective To explore sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinic client attitudes and preferences towards STI vaccines and STI vaccine programming in an urban clinic setting. Methods A 31-item questionnaire was administered during check-in by clinic clerical staff at two STI clinics in Vancouver, Canada. Demographic characteristics and preferences were summarised descriptively. Multivariable logistic regression models to assess factors associated with STI vaccine interest (reported as ORs) were constructed using a priori clinically relevant variables and factors significant at p≤0.05 in bivariate analysis. Results 293 surveys were included in analysis. 71.3% of respondents identified as male, 80.5% had college level education or higher and 52.9% identified as white/of European descent. The median age was 33. 86.5% of respondents reported they would be interested in receiving an STI vaccine, with a primary motivator to protect oneself. Bivariate analysis indicated several factors associated with vaccine interest, with differences for each infection. After adjusting for other variables, willingness to pay for an STI vaccine (OR=3.83, 95% CI 1.29 to 11.38, p=0.02) remained a significant factor for syphilis vaccine interest and intent to engage in future positive health behaviours remained a significant factor for chlamydia (OR=5.94, 95% CI 1.56 to 22.60, p=0.01) and gonorrhoea (OR=5.13, 95% CI 1.45 to 18.07, p=0.01) vaccine interest. Conclusion Respondents expressed a strong willingness to receive STI vaccines. These valuable findings will inform for eventual STI vaccine programme planning and implementation

Factors associated with intention to receive vaccines for bacterial sexually transmitted infections among young HPV-vaccinated Canadian women

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the acceptability of bacterial STI vaccines among young HPV-vaccinated Canadian women to inform future vaccine program implementation. Methods: A 20-item cross-sectional questionnaire was administered from June 2019 to June 2020 to HPV-vaccinated participants of the pan-Canadian QUEST cohort. Multivariable logistic regression models assessed interest in chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea vaccines using a priori variables and factors significant in bivariate analysis. Results: Of the 1092 respondents analyzed, 82% indicated interest in receiving one or more future STI vaccines. Respondents had a median age of 19.6 years (range 16.9–23.4), and 75% of respondents identified as white/European descent. In adjusted analyses, intent to engage in positive health behaviours was associated with vaccine interest for syphilis (OR = 5.76, 95% CI 4.03–8.27), chlamydia (OR = 5.27, 95% CI 3.66–7.63), and gonorrhea (OR = 5.96, 95% CI 4.15–8.60). Willingness to pay for an STI vaccine was also associated with vaccine interest for syphilis (OR = 2.02, 95% CI 1.29–3.19), chlamydia (OR = 2.41, 95% CI 1.50–3.90), and gonorrhea (OR = 2.29, 95% CI 1.44–3.63). Ever having sexual intercourse and identifying as LGBTQ were significantly associated with vaccine interest for all infections, while age and ever being immunosuppressed were not significant in any adjusted models. Conclusion: Findings indicate over 80% of participants in a cohort of young HPV-vaccinated Canadian women are interested in receiving future bacterial STI vaccines. Further exploration of STI vaccine acceptability among diverse populations is required to inform future bacterial STI vaccine program implementation

High HIV risk and syndemic burden regardless of referral source among MSM screening for a PrEP demonstration project in Toronto, Canada

Background: To maximize public health impact and cost-effectiveness, HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) must reach individuals at high HIV risk. Referrals for PrEP can be self- or provider-initiated, but there are several challenges to both. We assessed whether HIV risk differed by referral source among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex (gbMSM) screening for an HIV PrEP demonstration project. Methods: PREPARATORY-5 was an open-label PrEP demonstration project enrolling gbMSM at high risk of HIV acquisition in Toronto, Canada. Study eligibility criteria related to high risk was defined as scoring ≥10 on the HIV Incidence Risk Index for MSM (HIRI-MSM) and engaging in at least 1 act of condomless receptive anal sex within the past 6 months. Recruitment was promoted through self-referrals (ads in a sexual networking app and gay newspaper/website) and provider-referrals (10 community-based organizations, CBOs). HIV risk score (HIRI-MSM) and syndemic health burden were measured among gbMSM screened for study participation and compared according to referral source. Results: Between October 16 and December 30, 2014, online ads generated 1518 click-throughs and CBOs referred 115 individuals. Overall, 165 men inquired about the trial, of which 86 underwent screening. The majority of screened men were self-referrals (60.5%), scored ≥10 on HIRI-MSM (96.5%), and reported condomless receptive anal sex in the past 6 months (74.2%). Self- and provider-referrals had similarly high HIV risk profiles, with a median (IQR) HIRI-MSM score of 26.0 (19.0–32.5) and 28.5 (20.0–34.0) (p = 0.3), and 75.0% and 73.5% reporting condomless receptive anal sex (p = 0.9), respectively. The overall burden of syndemic health problems was also high, with approximately one-third overall identified as having depressive symptoms (39.5%), alcohol-related problems (39.5%), multiple drug use (31.4%), or sexual compulsivity (31.4%). There were no significant differences in syndemic health problems by referral source. Conclusions: HIV risk and syndemic burden were high among gbMSM presenting for this PrEP demonstration project regardless of referral source. Self-referral may be a useful and efficient strategy for identifying individuals suitable for PrEP use. Online strategies and CBOs working in gay men’s health may play important roles in connecting individuals at high HIV risk to PrEP services. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02149888 . Registered May 12th 2014.Medicine, Faculty ofOther UBCNon UBCMedicine, Department ofReviewedFacult